University Of Central Florida Employee Stabbed To Death By Wife Who Tried To Cover It Up

Police have arrested the wife of a University of Central Florida faculty member after she allegedly stabbed her 65-year-old husband to death and tried to cover up the murder by claiming he committed suicide.

On Wednesday, authorities arrested 45-year-old Danielle Justine Redlick on charges of second-degree murder and tampering with evidence after husband, Michael Redlick, was found dead inside their Winter Park, Fla. home. Redlick was hired as the director of external affairs and partnership relations for the DeVos Sport Business Management Program back in 2013. He also was also a former Memphis Grizzlies executive, Fox News reports.

On Jan. 12, Redlick contacted police and said her husband had died; this was 11 hours after she initially claimed the incident occurred. According to records, Redlick told dispatch her husband was “stiff and he might have had a heart attack. I don’t know.” She quickly changed her story and said she and her husband got into a fight that ended with him “stabbing himself.” “I ran and hid in the bathroom, and when I came out, I was trying to help him and saw he was lying in blood and then I tried to help him and I couldn’t,” Redlick said, according to the charging affidavit. “…I’ve been trying to figure out what to do.”

However, when police arrived to the scene the house smelled of bleach, and bloody towels were around Michael’s body. His body was on the floor near the home’s front door, and his jeans were covered in blood. Police say there were circular marks on the blood stains that indicate someone may have tried to clean them up. There was also a trail of blood leading to the bedroom.

Redlick claimed their argument started after Michael spat in her face and then took out a kitchen knife and “began making stabbing motions toward himself.” After using the bathroom, Redlick found her husband on the floor and used towels to clean up the blood because she was slipping on it while trying to find her phone, she told police. “[Danielle Redlick] remembered lying next to the victim thinking ‘what am I going to do,’” records stated.

Redlick’s story began to come apart after medical examiner’s determined Michael’s death was not caused by self-inflicted stab wounds. Some of his injuries also appeared defensive, the medical examiner said. Investigators also learned Danielle Redlick was on her phone two hours before she called 911 to report the death despite insisting she couldn’t find the device.